NOV 12-18: Historic events this week from The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Rush, Bob Dylan and Billy Joel
NOVEMBER 12, 1976: ALL THIS AND WORLD WAR II SOUNDTRACK
The “musical documentary” featured footage of World War II, with Beatles covers as a soundtrack.
The resulting soundtrack album, later re-released as The Songs Of John Lennon & Paul McCartney Performed By The World’s Greatest Rock Artists, featured Beatles covers from Elton John, The Bee Gees, Rod Stewart, Jeff Lynne, Peter Gabriel, Tina Turner, Bryan Ferry, and many more.
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NOVEMBER 15, 1969: PAUL IS DEAD THEORY
Two years after their release, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour returned to the Billboard charts.
With the great Paul Is Dead theory gathering momentum, people were buying the albums to scour the covers and lyrics for clues to “prove” the theory.
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NOVEMBER 15, 1969: JANIS JOPLIN IS ARRESTED FOR VULGARITY
A cop uses a bullhorn to tell the audience to remain in their seats.
Janis responds:
“DON’T F*&% WITH THOSE PEOPLE!”
The cop implores Janis to ask the audience to remain in their seats.
Janis replies:
“I’M NOT TELLING THEM S–T!”
She was arrested and charged with using “vulgar, indecent language.”
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NOVEMBER 16, 1977: THREE RUSH ALBUMS ARE CERTIFIED GOLD
2112, A Farewell to Kings and the live All the World’s a Stage were all certified Gold on the same day.
2112 has since gone 3x Platinum in the US and 2x Platinum in Canada.
• • •
NOVEMBER 17, 1994: MTV UNPLUGGED
Dylan’s MTV Unplugged appearance occurred over two nights at Sony Music Studios in New York.
With a setlist dominated by classic tracks, the only new song in the set was “Dignity.” “Dignity”, an outtake from Oh Mercy (1989), was released on Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Volume 3 two days before the the Unplugged shows.
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NOVEMBER 18, 1978: BILLY JOEL’S 52ND STREET IS #1
52nd Street contained two of Billy Joel’s biggest singles: “My Life” (#3) and “Big Shot” (#14).
The album would spend the rest of 1978 (seven consecutive weeks) at #1.
52nd Street would go on to sell 7 million copies in the US.
